Part Introduction to 365 Ways to Be More Stoic

Excerpt from the New Book with Audio Narration

Happiness, serenity and fulfilment are within your control, and within your power to have. So, too, are constructive ways to handle frustration, adversity and even your own mortality.

This is a guide to help you navigate through the controllable and inevitable, and, ultimately, to a meaningful life, filled with happiness.

This is 365 Ways to Be More Stoic by Tim LeBon, edited by Kasey Pierce!

Stoicism is now experiencing a massive resurgence, having struck a chord with seekers of wisdom who value personal improvement based on a solid foundation. This is despite misconceptions about this school of philosophical thought – one of the most popular being that Stoicism is all about ‘keeping a stiff upper lip’. That is ‘stoicism’ with a lowercase s and has nothing whatsoever to do with the philosophy you will be learning about in these pages. Real Stoics don’t button up negative emotions because they don’t need to. Stoicism shines a different, more positive, light on situations so you don’t get so worked up in the first place.

Key Stoic ideas that help us achieve this emotional stability include:

Much human misery is self-imposed and depends upon your outlook.

Only focus on what you can control, such as your thinking and behaviour.

If you develop a good character, leading a happy and fulfilling life becomes easier.

Studies confirm that Stoicism reduces anger and anxiety. Significantly, it also increases enjoyment, optimism, resilience and zest.

Stoicism began in the third century bce, when Zeno of Citium, a prosperous merchant from Cyprus, was shipwrecked near Athens. Soon after, he happened upon a book of Socratic dialogues that inspired him to devote his life to the pursuit of wisdom, otherwise known as philosophy, rather than material wealth. He lectured publicly in the Stoa Poikile, or Painted Porch, in the Athenian agora. His followers therefore became known as Stoics.

Stoicism was embraced by Romans a century later, becoming popular among the ruling class and even some slaves. Stoics believe that wisdom and happiness are accessible to all…